Rest in Peace
by CynicalInkSlinger
Summary: Some fluffness, set sometime after everything when everything is more normal. And Voice and stuff is pretty average as well. All to provde a fitting background to sometimes sickly sweetness. : FAX


Hi, my dear readers

**Hi, my dear readers! This fic is, of course, fax, and since they're always so frustrating (the last book was just annoyingly preachy) I thought it'd be an early, plotless, oneshot fic. You know, the best kind. :D Enjoy! Review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own, James Patterson does. Ooh, did you know my Uncle's name is James Patterson? Obviously not the same one, though. We call him Uncle Jim. Cool, right? Also, though, the song in this fic is from Buffy the vamp slayer. Heh heh. (Have you seen their archive? It's crazy big.)**

**--**

**Rest in Peace**

**Max PoV**

_What is with Fang today? _I wondered as I munched a cookie in the kitchen. He had been even moodier than usual lately. I headed into the living room. Surprisingly, the infamous Fang was sitting on the couch, looking oddly meditative.

"What's up?" I threw him, settling on the armchair a couple feet away and tucking my legs up under me.

He gave me a consternated look before covering it up with his usual emotionless mask. Fang: Consternated? It did not fit with my idea of normal, but I shrugged it off when Fang simply cocked an eyebrow, glanced up, and replied, "The ceiling."

I rolled my eyes at him. "What's going on with you?" I specified, "You look kinda thoughtful."

Fang shot me a glare. "Oh." He replied scathingly. I'm sorry, did I say moody? I meant friggin IRRITABLE!

"Fang, what's your freaking problem?" I sighed, getting annoyed as well. Hey, no one's perfect. He started it.

He threw me another irritated look. "My problem? I wasn't even saying anything before you came in the room. If I'm a bit- ha- morose, it's only because, Max, YOU ARE FREAKING BLIND!"

At these last words, Iggy and Gazzy came in the room. Ig raised his eyebrows. "Blind? I thought that was me." He waved his hand in front of his face. "Yeah, still definitely me." Despite his flippancy though, Iggy looked… well, as though he felt _bad_ for Fang.

What was up?

Fang certainly wasn't telling anyone. He threw up his hands and stomped into the other room, slamming the door behind him.

My annoyance forgotten, I threw a suspicious look at Iggy (too bad he couldn't see it) and retreated to me room as well, albeit not as dramatically as Fang.

--

**Fang PoV**

Why couldn't Max ever see what was right in front of her? Did I even want her to?

I sighed and collapsed on my bed. I had no idea what I wanted. Other than Max… but best not to think of that. I'd only get depressed. I sighed again and turned on some music.

--

**Max PoV**

Why did Fang say I was blind? What happens now? How the freak do I find out?

My flock had never really hidden anything from me before. I didn't know how to deal with it. Well, other than the whole lock pick affair, but that was an entirely different issue.

I got sidetracked by the sound of music coming from Fang's room. Curious, dunno why, I stood outside his door to listen. He changed songs a few times before settling on one.

_I died _

_So many years ago _

_But you can make me feel_

_Like it isn't so _

_And why you come to be with me _

_I think I finally know _

_mmm-mmm _

_You're scared _

_Ashamed of what you feel _

_And you can't tell the ones you love _

_You know they couldn't deal _

_Whisper in a dead man's ear _

_It doesn't make it real _

_That's great_

_But I don't wanna play _

_'Cause being with you touches me _

_More than I can say _

_And since I'm only dead to you _

_I'm saying stay away and _

_Let me rest in peace _

_Let me rest in peace _

_Let me get some sleep _

_Let me take my love and bury it _

_In a hole 6-foot deep _

_I can lay my body down _

_But I can't find my, sweet release _

_So let me rest in peace _

I peeked in cautiously. Fang was lying spread-eagled on his bed, eyes closed, with an anguished and depressed expression on his face. Again, Fang: anguished? What the HECK was going on? Fang half-mouthed the words to the song, still playing.

_You know, _

_You got a willing slave _

_And you just love to play the thought_

_That you might misbehave _

_But till you do,_

_I'm telling you _

_Stop visiting my grave _

_Let me rest in peace_

_Let me rest in peace _

_Let me get some sleep _

_Let me take my love and bury it _

_In a hole 6-foot deep _

_I can lay my body down _

_But I can't find my, sweet release _

_So let me rest in peace _

Now Fang was sitting up, his dark eyes blazing like live coals. But then he seemed to laugh at himself, and he leaned back against his headboard, closing his eyes once more, seeming bitter. Luckily he hadn't seen me.

The song played on, more gentle and melancholic. I hadn't known he listened to this sort of thing. Actually, I hadn't thought about what he listened to. I felt vaguely guilty, and listened again. Fang seemed to listen harder too, tilting his head.

_I know I should go _

_But I follow you like a man possessed _

_There's a traitor here beneath my breast _

_And it hurts me more than you've ever guessed _

_If my heart could beat, it would break my chest _

_But I can see you're unimpressed _

_So leave me be and_

_Let me rest in peace _

_Let me get some sleep _

_Let me take my love and bury it _

_In a hole 6-foot deep _

_I can lay my body down _

_But I can't find my sweet release _

_Let me rest in peace _

_Why won't you _

_Let me rest in-_

BAM! Fang slammed the power button, seeing me. He stared at me in shock and mortification. "How long have you been standing there?" He asked stiffly.

"Uh, from the beginning of the song," I murmured guiltily.

He sat, stiff as a board on the edge of his bed, every muscle in his body tense.

I shifted uneasily before turning as fleeing back to my room. I needed to think and sort out my feelings.

--

**Fang PoV**

She had been watching me! What had my expression been? I didn't even know. _You'd think I'd at least be safe in my own room, _I thought. I mostly prefer to keep my emotions hidden. _Unfortunately it'd be mentally unhealthy to do that all the time. _I took a moment to snicker at myself before wrenching my thoughts back to Max.

The torn emotions that had been troubling me- well, tormenting me- tore into me again. Did she know? Did I want her to?

I sighed and curled into a ball. This was intolerable. I cared about her so much… she was driving me insane. _I _was driving me insane.

**Max PoV**

So. Facts. Um… Fang was listening to music. And he looked weird. No, that sounds way too normal. Okay, he was listening to depressing music about a refused love with an expression of anguish on his face. There, much more accurate.

Wait, WHAT? What possible scientific conclusion can I come to there?

**None. It's not scientific Max, it's emotional.**

Oh, lovely. Just when I least need it, in pops the voice.

**I'm just here to help sort things out and deal with them. You should talk to Fang.**

_What!? Are you insane?! _I hissed at it mentally.

**It has to come out sooner or later. And it'd be easier for us all if you didn't follow through with your usual- and unhelpful- behaviors.**

_What behaviors? _I asked defensively. I could have sworn I heard the voice sighed exasperatedly.

**Tiptoeing around each other? Barely speaking? Blushing if you so much as glance- come on. I could go on and on.**

_If you think that's convincing me, you're so wrong, _I declared fiercely. How could I even start to talk to Fang?

It was then- speak of the devil- that Fang stepped into my room. Yep.

--**Fang's PoV**--

I sat up, resolute. I was absolutely and irrepressibly insane, but… I had to let Max how I felt. I couldn't stand it anymore.

I loved her so fiercely I wanted to embrace her every time I saw her. I'd go insane looking at that beautiful gold hair and chocolate eyes knowing she didn't know how I felt.

Knowingly crazy, determined as anything, I got up, opened my door, and walked steadily down the hallway, every step deliberate till I reached Max's door. I couldn't believe I was doing this, but at least I had decided something.

--**Max PoV**--

Seeing Fang come in, eyes blazing, walking tall, I finally realized. I… and it was a relief to finally think it…. Loved Fang.

My uncertainty faded as all the complex feelings I had felt so many times with Fang cam into sharp focus. Oh man, I did. I loved Fang.

**Well, It's a good thing, then, that he worked up the courage to actually talk to you,** the voice remarked.

Oh no! I thought, instantly shattered. The only reason Fang would be coming in here was to tell me how annoyed he was with me for spying on him. Normally I would just spit back in his face, but I was feeling particularly vulnerable- being yelled at by someone I… by Fang, was just unbearable right now. Just when I was realizing how hopeless my situation was. After all, he would never like me like that…

**Max…** the Voice sighed exasperatedly again. I didn't really care what the voice said. I turned to look more fully at Fang- the person I now realized I loved.

--**Fang pov**--

There was Max, sitting at her desk, head in hands. Yes, I definitely loved her. What else could cause this ache in my heart? She probably didn't even want to hear this.

I took another step and Max turned to me. In those gorgeous eyes that I had learned to read so well, I saw frustration, longing, despair… tears?

I was stopped dead in my tracks. My newfound steadfastness left me. I gazed, speechless, at the girl I loved, watching a single warm tear spill down her cheek. My heart couldn't take much more of this wrenching.

I reached out and caught the drop with my finger, then pulled her into an embrace. Anything to provide a modicum of comfort.

Holding her against me, I muttered "Max… I love you."

--**Max Pov**--

Suddenly, wiping my tears away, he _held _me. I was almost certain that this was a dream, but I felt the warmth of his arms around me… and I just wasn't that creative.

"Max…" he murmured in my ear, "I love you."

I pulled away slightly to gaze up at him, shocked, and now sure that this was a dream. Fang couldn't love me as more than a friend… could he?

Before I could say a word, he leaned down and kissed me softly on the lips, wiping away my fears and doubts yet again. Yeah, he does that. I deepened the kiss, reveling in the feel of his lips on mine.

And wait… if this, in fact, was not a dream… then he did love me. My now-closed eyes flew open again, a couple of tears fell and I smiled against Fangs mouth.

He pulled back, bottomless dark eyes showing worry, and yes, love. "Max- I-"

I placed my hand over his mouth. "It's okay, I'm just happy. I love you too."

--**Fang PoV**--

Did she know her eyes sparkled when she said that? I couldn't believe I was holding her.

As I realized how much time I was wasting not kissing Max, our lips met again and I fell into bliss. It felt so good…

--**Max PoV**--

Fang kissed me again. My thoughts had lost all coherency. I barely noticed when he carried me to my bed and laid me down. I did whimper, though, when he had to stop for a minute to join me. I caught a glimmer of mischief in his eyes when he leaned in to continue. I knew I would never live it down, but was too far-gone to care. I only spared a flicker of resignation towards it as I drifted to sleep in Fang's arms. (**After ONLY kissing. Get your mind out of the gutter.**)

--**Fang PoV**--

Max shifted in my arms and I opened my eyes. It was morning, and I still held the girl I loved. I leaned over and buried my face in her warm, golden hair. She smelled wonderful, like sun-warmed strawberries.

She turned over and smiled at me. I grinned right back and kissed her.

--**Max PoV**--

I woke up in Fang's- Fang's!- arms. I wanted to simply stay there and stay sleepy, but I felt him press his face against my hair and had to turn around and smile at him.

He grinned back- he must really be happy- and kissed me again. The taste of his lips came back to me- like dark chocolate, bittersweet and irresistible.

He gave me another lopsided smile. "Should we tell the flock?"

"It'd be hard not to, with Angel around," I grimaced.

"True. And Iggy already knows I love you." Fang revealed.

"How?" I asked, surprised.

"He walked in on me talking to myself and demanded to hear the whole story," Fang shrugged, then smiled- again!- "I really should start locking my door."

"If you had, we might never have opened up," I reminded him.

"Good point. We're both too stubborn," Fang agreed, rolling his eyes.

I sighed and kissed him one last time before hopping, shivering, out of bed. The air was cold, especially in comparison to Fang's arms. If we stayed in bed much longer, though, the flock would check on us. Though some of them might already know about us, they probably wouldn't expect to find us together like this.

"Close your eyes." I ordered Fang, who was sitting up behind me. He rose his eyebrows cynically but did as told, while I quickly changed from my pj's into jeans and a dark red t-shirt.

"Okay, ready." I announced, to see Fang's eyes open, then widen.

"That color looks really good on you," He said, "You should wear it more often." I smiled my thanks.

Fang smiled back then slipped out the door to stealthily slip back to his room like only Fang can.

I headed out as well, closing the door behind me._ He is so hot._ I thought, glancing at his retreating back. I heard a giggle behind me, and turned to find Angel behind me. "Uh," I said cleverly then pulled her back into my room,"As you probably know, me and Fang- well, he- I-"

"Fang's loved you forever and he finally told you and you realized you loved him too and now you're together but you didn't do anything, ever." Angel sweetly spoke for me.

I sighed with relief. "Yeah. Thanks. Wait- Fang's loved me for a long time?"

"Yeah, almost as long as I can remember," Angel nodded earnestly, "He told me not to tell you or anyone else because then you'd find out and you wouldn't love him back and everything would get awkward and he'd have to leave you and the flock- or that's what he thought."

I rocked back in a sudden revelation. I already knew what it felt like to think Fang didn't love me- but what, for two seconds? Fang had found out I loved him only last night. How horrible that he had to feel like that all the time before. No wonder he called me blind.

"Yes, he wasn't very happy at all. In fact, he was confused," Angel responded to my thoughts, to which she had been listening intently.

Nodding absently, sadly, I dragged my thoughts back to the present. "Angel, will you still keep this a secret until Fang and I tell everybody?"

"Okay," she replied dubiously, "But it might get be sort of hard."

I knew what she meant. Give Nudge any sort of hint and she would fly to all conclusions. But I'd think about that later. I absently pecked Angel on the head and walked down the hall to Fang's room.

I opened the door and walked in. Fang was putting his toothbrush away- apparently he had finished getting ready for the day while I talked with Angel.

I went over to him and rested my head on his shoulder (his back was towards me). "I'm sorry."

"For what?" He asked, surprised at my touch.

"For being blind." I replied.

He turned around and kissed me hard, and we melted together.

Apparently I was forgiven. Everything was going to be as good as always.

Fang moaned as I placed my hands around his neck and I smiled to myself.

No, better.


End file.
